Loading-pack for revolvers.



l. 'H. WESSON.

LOADING PACK FOR BEVOLVERS,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-21. me.

- 1,228,505. Patented June 5, 1917.

INVENTOR By Attorneys,

WITNESSES;

g V I W W JOSEPH H. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TSMITH & WESSON,

0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION.

- To all whom it may concern:

LOADING-PACK FOR REVOLVERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 191?.

Application filed September 21, 1916. Serial No. 121,411.

peated several times. 1

' Short-arm firing has been found very effective in repelling bayonetattacks, and at such times it is extremely important that no unnecessarytime be lost in reloading the revolver. My invention is especiallyadapted for use in such emergencies, as it enables the user to fill allthe chambersin the cylinder of the revolver in the time ordinarilyrequired to insert a single cartridge, and to repeat this reloadingopera-- tion as many times as the capacity ofthe loading pack willpermit.

,In the accompanying draWings,-

Figure 1 is an elevation of a revolver with its cylinder swung out tothe reloading position, and with the cartridge pack or carrier, which isshown in elevation, in the act ofbeing presented to the cylinder;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal mid-section through the cylinder of therevolver and the loading pack on a larger scale, showing the partsimmediately after the reloading operation;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the loading pack showing three of itsmagazine cham bers empty and three containing cartridges;

Fig. t is a cross-section on the line H in Fig. 6, the cartridges beingomitted;

Fig. 5 is. a rear elevation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the front portion of theloading pack showing the parts in normal position.

Referring 'to Fig. 1, A is the revolver as a Whole and B is itscylinder, which is swung out to the position for ejecting-the spentshells and reloading the cylinder. In

this figure C is the loading pack or carrier, which is shown in the actof being presented against the rear of the cylinder.-

The loading pack or cartridge carrier is constructed with a group oflongitudinal cartridge chambers or magazines D, D

which are tubular. and adapted to receive a suitable number ofcartridges end to end. The arrangement of these chambers in a transverseplane is symmetrical and agrees with the number and arrangement ofcartridge-receiving chambers in the cylinder of the revolver. In theexample shown in the drawings, the revolver has a six-chamberedcylinder,and the loading pack consequently has six tubular cartridge chambers ormagazines. Each magazine has fastened in its rear end a spring E, beingpreferably a long helical spring of open coils against which in loadingthe pack the cartridges are pushed back. The pack is loaded by pushingthe cartridges rearwardly into the. open front ends of the cartridgechambers. The compression of the springs thereby occasioned would tendto cause the cartridges to fiy v outwardly, and to prevent this thecartridge chambers are provided with retaining means adapted to normallyengage the expulsive tendency. In the preferred construction shown theretaining means consists of a spring catch (1 having a beveled head orlatch 12 which engagesthe usual groove or neck at the base of thecartridge. In the construction shown the A spring catches a, or, aremade as leaf springs,

riveted or otherwise united to the tubes forming the cartridge chambersand projecting thence forward, so that their latches b are at theirfront cnds. These latches work through slots in the sides of the tubesforming the cartridge chambers. v

For simultaneously spring catches so that the cartridges may be releasedin the actof loading the cylinder, a suitable means is provided fordrawing the catches inwardly when the cartridge pack is pressed againstthe cylinder in the act of loading. For this purpose in F is providedhaving a rod 0 and pressed outermost cartridge and hold it against thedisengaging the i the preferred construction a central plunger forwardby a spring 03 until arrested by a v a nut or head e on the rear end ofthe rod, which comes against an abutment fixed within the cartridgecarrier. The'plunger F hasat its rear side a beveled flange g whichengages the outer beveled faces of the latches, and, as it is pressedback, moves these'simultane-ously inward or toward the center so as todisengage them from the cartridge necks. i

In operation the cartridge pack or carrier is first loaded, preferablyto its full capacity, by inserting the cartridges one by one into therespective cartridge chambers D, D. When thus loaded the outermostcartridges project to the extent shown in Fig. 6. When the revolverrequires reloading the marksman first swings open the cylinder andejects the spent shells in the usual manner. He then brings thecartridge pack 'or carrier to the position shown in Fig. 1,

with its protruding cartridges alined with the chambers in the cylinder,and after inserting these protruding ends of the car tridges into thechambers he pushes the cartri'dge carrier forward until its plunger Fabuts against the ratchet k of the cylinder or anv other projecting partof the latter, and is thereby pushed back to the position shown in Fig.2, so that it retracts the spring catches engaging the cartridges andpermits the latter to be forced into the chambers of the cylinder, thesucceeding cartridges being caught by the spring catches when thepressure upon the carrier is removed. This reloading operation may berepeated until the supply of cartridges in the carrier is exhausted. Thepresent invention, as will thus be seen, provides a means for repeatedlyreloading the chambers of a revolver with cartridges as fast as thespent shells can be ejected.

While I have shown and described the best manner of constructing myinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limitedthereto, since various changes may be made therein without departmg fromthe spirit of the invention.

What I claim is \1. A loading pack for revolvers comprising a cartridgecarrier having a plurality of elongated cartridge chambers grouped tocorrespond with the chambers in the cylinder of the revolver, springsfor pressing the cartridges forward, and retaining means for normallyholding the cartridges adapted to coact with the cylinder whereby to beautomatically released upon introducing the cartridges into the chambersof the cylinder.

2. A loading pack for revolvers comprising a cartridge carrier having aplurality of elongated cartridge chambers grouped to correspond with thechambers in the cylinder of the revolver, springs for pressing thecartridges forward,-retaining means for normally holding the cartridgescomprising spring catches, and releasing means comprising a 1 artdisplaced by engagement with the cylinder of the revolver and engagingsaid catches' to retract them.

3. A loading pack for revolvers comprising a cartridge carrier having aplurality of elongated cartridge 'chambers grouped to correspond withthe chambers in the cylinder of the revolver, springs for pressingthecartridges forward, spring catches for normally holding thecartridges, and a springpressed plunger engaging said catches to retractthem when displaced by contact with the cylinder of the revolver.

4. A loading pack for revolvers compris JOSEPH H. WESSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. GILMORE, CARLE'roN D. LIVERMORE.

